Many public interest employers – particularly those who run litigation-heavy offices, like public defenders and prosecutors – evaluate interviewees by putting them on the hot seat. So-called “stress interviews” may take many forms, from courtroom-hearing role play, to a very difficult hypothetical, to an interviewer being purposefully stand-offish and combative. Such exercises are designed to test an interviewee’s mettle.
Want to know what to expect in a stress interview, and how to beat the interviewer’s expectations? Download “Surviving Stress(ful) Interviews” from the NALP Bulletin archives. This article, written by former legal services lawyer Nicole Ayala, reviews commonly asked questions and offers strategies for success.
The PSLawNet Blog 
Andy said
These are all good suggestions, and I’d add one more that has worked well for me in the past: calmly engage the interviewer in a meta-discussion about the question and its premises or bases.
Especially where the interviewer is trying to put you in an untenable position, you can say something like “that’s a very interesting question. I think what you’re really trying to get at is…” Or, “there are merits and drawbacks to any decision I’d make here. If I did X, that accomplishes goal 1, but puts goal 2 at risk. On the other hand, if I do Y it may accomplish my goals, but creates the risk that Z happens and makes me look like a weasel…”